http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_ ... 55201.html
I think Venerable Hyongak made a very good decision. Korean Buddhism is falling into corruption, political fights in the Jogye Order (Largest Zen (Seon) order in South Korea. Majority of Korean Buddhists I've met were just praying to Avalokiteshvara (Gwanseeumbosal) and Amitabha (Amitabul) for wealth, longevity and good luck and are not interested at all in enlightenment (Seongbul). Korean Buddhist population has fallen from 22& to 15.5& over the course of 10 years while Protestantism and Catholicism grew, now Korea's largest religion is Christianity, with Buddhism projected to decline even further. The Head abbot of Jogye Seon order has many controversies including corruption, drinking etc. Korean Buddhism needs to find a way back to its pure form.

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_ ... 55201.html
I think Venerable Hyongak made a very good decision. Korean Buddhism is falling into corruption, political fights in the Jogye Order (Largest Zen (Seon) order in South Korea. Majority of Korean Buddhists I've met were just praying to Avalokiteshvara (Gwanseeumbosal) and Amitabha (Amitabul) for wealth, longevity and good luck and are not interested at all in enlightenment (Seongbul). Korean Buddhist population has fallen from 22& to 15.5& over the course of 10 years while Protestantism and Catholicism grew, now Korea's largest religion is Christianity, with Buddhism projected to decline even further. The Head abbot of Jogye Seon order has many controversies including corruption, drinking etc. Korean Buddhism needs to find a way back to its pure form.

Most Buddhists in history would have just been praying to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and not trying to reach enlightenment.

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_ ... 55201.html
I think Venerable Hyongak made a very good decision. Korean Buddhism is falling into corruption, political fights in the Jogye Order (Largest Zen (Seon) order in South Korea. Majority of Korean Buddhists I've met were just praying to Avalokiteshvara (Gwanseeumbosal) and Amitabha (Amitabul) for wealth, longevity and good luck and are not interested at all in enlightenment (Seongbul). Korean Buddhist population has fallen from 22& to 15.5& over the course of 10 years while Protestantism and Catholicism grew, now Korea's largest religion is Christianity, with Buddhism projected to decline even further. The Head abbot of Jogye Seon order has many controversies including corruption, drinking etc. Korean Buddhism needs to find a way back to its pure form.

Well i is not only problem of Krean buddhism. One may find it all over all buddhist traditions including theravada etc. one has to be more realistic about such things.

I think that you'll find that the problem with all institutions including religion is people, more accurately, greedy people that are more interested in power and prestige than practicing their religion and upholding the spirit of the ideology.
There's been many threads on here about different teachers from all types of sects and traditions behaving badly. Unfortunately monks, nuns and priests are fallible human beings too.

I think that you'll find that the problem with all institutions including religion is people, more accurately, greedy people that are more interested in power and prestige than practicing their religion and upholding the spirit of the ideology.
There's been many threads on here about different teachers from all types of sects and traditions behaving badly. Unfortunately monks, nuns and priests are fallible human beings too.

in fact this problem is as old as buddhism itself is.. it is enough to read vinaya texts, to have a little glimpse. Moreover what often happens to Westerners in Asia is their initial imagination about buddhism or Asia which hits hard reality of eveday life in monasteries... Asians are not so much stained by monotheism and strict thinking in terms of good and bad about human nature, failure etc.

However it does not mean accepting, rather less imagination. Idealistic Asians are rare, and those who imagine buddhism in unrealistic terms are mostly people with some neurotic problems and anger. Sorry to say so openly about it. Majority grew up with buddhism as it is, no illusions or unrealistic expectations. They are critical of course, but in a different way.. Same problems happened during times of Buddha. But anyone has freedom of choice. If some are fed up with Korean or any pother zen, what are they going to do next? Who cares after all about condition of buddhism? Real practitioners care about if they can find a proper teacher, and then they should simply follow instructions and put effort in their own practice. Corruption is as old as humanity is, to care about corrupted minds of others is waste of time and waste of rare opportunity to practice dharma.. death is always close, what for to engage in petty matters???

So I wnoder what one has learned after 25 y of practice? conclusion is not very nice..